The background to this invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,813 patented Apr. 11, 1967 and issued to Edward J. Craoge, Jr., shows novel (3-amino-5,6-disubstituted-pyrazinoyl)guanidine compounds. The compounds of the '813 patent are useful because they possess diuretic and natriuretic properties. They differ from most of the known, effective diuretic agents, however, in that the compounds of the '813 patent selectively enhance the excretion of sodium ions while simultaneously causing a decrease in excretion of potassium ions. The potassium loss, which is caused by known diuretics, often results in a severe muscular weakness. Since the compounds of the '813 patent prevent the potassium depletion, they have this decided advantage as diuretics. As diuretic agents, they can be used for the treatment of edema, hypertension and other diseases or conditions known to be responsive to this therapy and are especially useful when used in combination with or concomitantly with potassium losing diuretic agents.
It has been found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,813 that the pyrazinoylguanidine compounds therein described when co-administered with other diuretic agents known to enhance the elimination of potassium ions along with sodium ions, will maintain the potassium ion excretion at approximately the normal or control rate and thus overcome this undesirable property of other diuretic agents.
In actuality, applicants' compounds in the instant case as further described, accomplish the objective previously achieved by using a combination of pyrazinoylguanidine compounds of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,813 with diuretic agents which cause elimination of sodium with concomitant excessive potassium elimination. Thus, the compounds of the instant case are effective eukalemic/saluretic agents. Since the compounds of the instant invention are thus eukalemic/saluretic agents, they constitute single entities which are useful for the treatment of edema and hypertension and other diseases or conditions known to be responsive to this therapy.